Problems Facing Malaysia Today and Suggested Solutions - Coursework Example

Problems Facing Malaysia Today & Suggested Solutions ID Lecturer Malaysia, alike other developing countries, is going through extensive development and urbanization, and has turned to be a hub of opportunities for a better future. Although the country is considered as a secure nation to travel and to settle in nearly all respects, street crime is becoming a major concern these days with figures rising swiftly, particularly in the key cities. Treachery methods on street like pocket picking, bag ripping, and bag grabbing has turned out to be a routine in all big cities. The crime pace is speedily attaining a startling echelon due to which the public cannot securely set off for their daily responsibilities. One of the reasons of high rise in crime rates is unemployment. Due to the current major global economic crisis, many locals have been left unemployed and many immigrants have been sent back to their home lands, while many have stayed back. Unemployment rate definitely goes high when the economy is unstable, resulting in no jobs and no money. Due to such conditions, out of frustration, people end up committing such crimes and thefts. Inflation is another major cause for the increasing crime rate. Inflation in Malaysia is now reaching peaks. Petrol prices are rising daily and so are prices of household items. This makes many Malaysian citizens suffer because their salaries cannot compensate their living expenses (Hock & Kesavapany 2006). The best way of fighting street crime is by being alert of personal safety practices and precautions. Be conscious of a probable problem before it occurs is important. Remove the opportunities for the criminal to target you. Be alert of the atmosphere you are in at all times, stay away from strange areas and gloomy lanes. If you sense fearfulness in the surroundings, as you can go elsewhere as soon. Be attentive where there is heavy traffic or in a crowd, particularly in tourist vicinities. Try not to carry any personal items with you but if necessary do keep them but out of sight, especially when having a snack, do not leave your valuables like your cell phone, wallet or bag on the table or chair even if you think your attention is on it. In all crowded areas watch your handbag, wallet, camera, ornaments, watch, etc. Whilst driving, constantly keep the doors locked and never leave your personal belongings unattended when you get off the car. Purse snatching is a thievery that occurs at every single hour and usually amidst a large set of observers, even in high-end neighborhoods. Women on foot with kids are the most frequent targets. Victims have been wounded and even murdered after falling and being heaved by thieves in cars or on motorbikes. Such episodes have turned to be a cause of torture and terror amongst public. Bear in mind, that the prevention of street crime is the paramount solution for it. With an increase in individual consciousness, probable chances will diminish, and this will in turn discourage delinquents from trying. In this case, a criminal database system can be a great help which can record information on stolen vehicles, required criminals and travel papers. By imposing harsher sentences on wrongdoers the level of crime will certainly decrease (Barak 2000). An added imperative measure to condense crime rate would be to augment the physical presence of the police force all over the nation mainly in soaring crime prone vicinities. The sheer physical presence of uniformed police workforce would discourage numerous prospective delinquents. Mounting additional road lights and CCTVs in soaring crime areas will as well help extensively to avert crime. Uniformed agencies can also be connected with to aid the police force in order to battle against crime. Moreover, more juvenile Malaysians should be hired, coached and organized in the field for anti-crime patrols instead of condensing their proficiency by being preoccupied elsewhere with futile counter and paper work jobs, which can be easily be taken care of by several others. When we know that we are approaching defeat in a battle we should not persist in fighting it with the same war force and equipment. We essentially require novel blood to be imbued into this battle, in the shape of much enhanced, more vigorous and unswerving man-power. New endowed juvenile men and women should be employed into the police force to fight this countrywide threat. I am certain there are adequate amongst our youth who are avid to enroll with the armed forces to perform their bit for the best of our nation only if they be provided a chance and be trusted in. Besides employing new people into the force, the police must also endeavor to perk up its representation in the eyes of the citizens. The police force must be taken as an association that is undoubtedly self-regulating, proficient, friendly and on top of all, should encompass absolute honesty constantly set to impart its obligations without any trepidation. I think that if on our individual part we take all the stated above a bit seriously and make efforts individually to fight street crime we can surely successfully battle against it and eradicate it! Another key setback facing Malaysia today is traffic congestion. In Malaysia traffic runs on the left side of the highway, and almost all automobiles are right-hand drive. Seat belts are essential. Cell phone usage is not allowed while driving.  Regulations aligned with drinking and driving is stringently imposed with rigid penalties. Amidst these strict laws there are our very own motorcyclists who consistently endeavor to dodge traffic obstruction by twining in and out of the traffic, via vacant approachable traffic lanes, and rushing during red lights which creates a risk mutually for drivers and striders alien with such traffic models. Drivers should make use of their turn signals way before when turning to indicate motorcyclists of their aim to turn. There has been a rapid increase in the number of incidents accounted for relating to after mid-night highway rage. The critical issue is countless motor vehicles making their way on road and ending up in extreme congestion. Imagine ten years down the road, when the multiplied population would end up in a twice the increase in the number of automobiles. Constructing extensive highways can surely assist but by making more and more highways and roads to cater for the continually increasing numbers of cars and motorbikes, very soon our nation would turn to be a terrain of highways and roads with barely slight area left for agriculture. Due to numerous vehicles on the highways, traffic blockage has turned to be a frustration that gives birth to constant tension, consumes expensive fuel, and releases harmful smoke and trashes one’s time (Hilling 1996). The most important measure to reduce traffic congestion and its serious effects is to decrease the numeric of automobiles on our roads predominantly throughout the festive seasons. Avoid pointless traveling particularly through this time. You can visit your families throughout the year why essentially cramping into one or two days. Other than this our government should genuinely deem to enhance and upgrade our public transport system. Inter-city and intra city public transport system should definitely be improved. They must be made secure, effective and reasonable. It is useless to run campaigns to encourage the utilization of public transport when we actually do not have an on ground efficient system. It is integral to have separate lanes for motor cyclists in every major town and city. Until and unless the authorities think about taking these measures on a serious note along with implementing them instantaneously, precious lives will persistently be mislaid in these war fields, synonymously termed as the roads.  The authorities must definitely be investing in huge amounts of strength and money to construct new highways along with improving and sustaining the existing ones but it appears as if roads have become the only mode of transport in the nation connecting within the key towns and cities (Tunali 1996). Instead of alternatively emerging a widespread and synchronized public transport system which engages rail, road and air transport, we have over stressed on only the road transportation which has now turned out to be overloaded and packed. Rail service that once used to be a well-liked mode of intercity transport has now become excessively occasional and undependable. Where are the express train services that were commonly used to commute in the eighties? Intercity shuttle flights have also become less recurrent despite even though more airlines have now started operating (Hooker 2003). Trains and railway tracts should be enhanced and restructured to serve as an interconnection between all key cities. To make these services successful they should be made regular, well-organized and reasonable. Proficient people with right stance, potential and veracity should be selected to efficiently supervise these services in order to make them profitable and economically viable. Furthermore, our airports are situated in the outskirts and are not properly linked to the main city which amplifies the hassles faced by the travelers (Kheng 2003). Car-pooling can play an essential role to extensively reduce the traffic in cities. By pooling cars with friends and colleagues you can easily reach workplaces or schools on time. Every minute step taken on our part can help decrease traffic congestion in our nation. We should set an example for others because if we all unite together to make a little attempt, we can definitely create a huge difference. Furthermore, another dilemma facing our country today is air pollution. Malaysia has mounted to the revolutionary development age, making foundation for several industries but at the expense of our beautiful environment. Several industrial sectors have been permitted by the authorities to be located in generally forestland and unpopulated regions due to which trees have been slashed down to lodge the construction of huge manufacturing industries. As a result of which not only the oxygen supply has diminished but also poisonous gases are being spewed out in the course of manufacturing. Obviously, people would definitely move towards industrial regions due to elevating opportunities. The rising numbers of vehicles in Malaysia has also added to the excessive pollution. Despite being prohibited, open air burning is still a common norm in our country as it’s the only way found accessible to get rid of trash (Agnihotri 1998). Malaysia’s economy is primarily rooted on its chemical and rubber industries. But elevated manufacturing rates also escorts elevated emissions of toxic dust. Other than toxic dust emissions, unplanned development of industrial premises heads to noise pollution. Our households also add in to air pollution chiefly by means of the energy that is requisite to workout various electrical appliances like the refrigerators (Ezati & Kammen 2002). Appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners not only employ energy but also contaminate the atmosphere through their coolant fluids which pollute the environment. Chemicals that are used in houses and gardens are also means of pollution. Therefore, for the survival of the human race our leaders should consider to spend extensively over massive research on environmental responsive energy sources, like wind, solar and hydro power (Colls 2002). The government should strictly pass a law that all new power plants essentially necessitate to be environmentally friendly. All existing and unclean power plants should stop being enhanced and repaired. In light to the above stated, Malaysia’s expansion into a contemporary and sustainably administered trading nation necessitates an up to date widespread environmental policy which definitely needs to include air pollution control from all aspects. Enhancing the worth of information on the sources and effects of air pollution which may include air screening network, emission catalog and wellbeing studies will surely assist in promising the authorities a valuable foundation for making accurate environmental policy decisions, while equally generating clarity on the issue for the public (French 1994). The expansion of environmentally responsive metropolitan transport should also be promoted through seminars for industry, media and if possible academically. Adding to all the stated above, environmental communication and intensive information campaigns can assist in raising awareness about how important a healthy environment is for the human race. Natural gas can also be employed as a substitute fuel because it is not only cleaner when compared to petrol and other fuels like diesel but is economical as well. Works Cited Agnihotri, Newal. Malaysia: Industry &Environment. Presidents & Prime Ministers. Vol. 7, 1998 Barak, Gregg. Crime & Crime Control: A Global View. Greenwood Press, 2000 Colls, Jeremy. Air Pollution. Spon Press, 2002 Ezati, Majid & Kammen, Danniel. The Health Impacts of Exposure to Indoor Pollution from Solid Fuels in Developing Countries: Knowledge, Gaps and Data Needs. Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 110, 2002 French, Hilary. Can the Environment Survive Industrial Demands? Society for the Advancement of Education, Vol. 122, 1994 Hilling, David. Transport and Developing Countries. Routledge, 1996 Hock, Saw & Kesavapany, K. Malaysia: Recent Trends & Challenges. Institute of South-Asian Studies, 2006 Hooker, Virginia. A Short History of Malaysia: Linking East & West. Allen & Unwin, 2003 Kheng, Cheah. Malaysia: Making of a Nation. Institute of South-Asian Studies, 2002 Tunali, Odil. A Billion Cars: The Road Ahead. World Watch, Vol. 9, 1996 Word Count: 2,033 Read More